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NBA Picks

NBA Picks: Clippers vs. Rockets NBA Betting Preview

5 days ago the Clippers clipped the Rockets. Will the Rockets return the favor tonight? Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm ET at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers (3-3) meet up with the
Houston Rockets (4-2) in the rematch of a meeting just 5 days ago as the
Clippers beat up on Houston, 137-118.

Odds makers look for another shootout as the Rockets are a 4
point NBA betting odds favorite and the total for the game is listed at 213.5.

CP3 and Blake Griffin had a fairly easy time of it against
the Rockets at the Staples Center. The question is “will we see more of the
same or will home court advantage help Houston turn the tables?”

Los Angeles has beaten Houston in 6 of their last 7 meetings
and this can be a simple case of one team having another team’s number.

The Hard Way

Despite the Clippers 3-3 record, we know that they’re an
elite team in the league and Houston would like to earn some respect back in
their building and in order for that to happen, James Harden will have to have
a big game.

It’s becoming evident that Dwight Howard is a 2nd
scoring option on any team. For the Magic, he had no other option but to be the
main man, but on teams like the Lakers and Rockets, he’s deferred to Bryant and
Harden.

Harden expends a great deal of energy and has no problem
facilitating the action by looking to keep the tempo up and looking for his
shot. On the season, Harden is averaging 26.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3
assists per game. He’s coming off of a huge 35 point, 9 rebound, 5 assist, 4
blocks, and 2 steal performance in a crushing 99-98 loss to the Los Angeles
Lakers in which Steve Blake hit a game winning 3-pointer to secure the victory
for L.A. Nonetheless, Harden can do it all and will need to have a big game
against a tough team in the Clippers tonight.

This game is expected to be close and don’t be surprised if
the Rockets grab the lead, the Clippers will looking to force D-12 to win the
game from the foul line. The Lakers did it and Howard was just 5 of 16 from the
foul line. Houston must not put themselves in this position. We all know that
Dwight Howard can grab 15 rebound whenever he want’s, but in order for Houston
to win, Howard must look for his shot more often. He’s averaging a respectable
17 points per game, but put up only 10 shots against Los Angeles. Dwight Howard
needs to get his confidence back and be the 20 point per game scorer that he
was made to be.

[gameodds]5/247205/?r-1=19-43-349-192/us[/gameodds]

Getting Tired?

At 16.8 points per game and the knack for knocking down the
timely 3-ball, J.J. Redick is the perfect fit for the Clippers. Redick will
need to stay consistent as Chris Paul isn’t the 20 plus point per game scorer
that his statistics indicate. CP3 is great because he knows how to make players
better and knows when to take over a game; he’s never been a huge statistics
guy. Thus far, his stats indicate otherwise, but after an 11 point performance
against the dominant Miami Heat, you have a better barometer of exactly how
good that Chris Paul is without putting up huge numbers offensively.

Blake Griffin is averaging 25 points and 13.5 rebounds in
his last 2 games. This is the Griffin that we saw in his rookie season and if
he keep’s playing this way, Los Angeles has a chance to win a 2nd
consecutive game over the Rockets for our NBA picks.

Outcome

These are two teams with a lot of offensive firepower and look
for a lot of points. 213.5 is a lot of points in most games, but not for these
two elite teams.